Combined signaling system and brake-applying mechanism.



v P-ATENTEDv-AUGJ.1905. f

XH. GQRBIGHARDT. A l COMBINED s IGNALING SYSTEM AND BRAKE APPLYING M'ECHANISM.

APPLICATION IIFIIID MAR, 5`, 1904.

No. 796,247. f A A PATENTED AUG. 1", 1905.

- f H.. 0.*REIGHARDT. Y k` y 'COMBINED SIGNALING ySYSTEM AND BRAKE APPLXING'MEGHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED HAB. 5, 1.904.l

` asuma-SHEET a.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

HENRY c. EEICHARDT, oE PoTTsviLLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED siGNALlNG'sYsj-Ewl 'AND BRAKE-APPLYING. MECHANISM.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C REIGHARDT, a citizen of the United States, residingat Pottsville, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania., have invented certain new and useful .Improvements in a Combined Signaling System and Brake-Applying Mechanism, of'which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a signaling system in combination with a brake-applying mechanism adapted for use in connection with railroad-trains.

The object of the invention is to provide, first, a mechanism connected with the signaling system and adapted'to be set in position with the signal to automatically operate the engineers valve to apply the air-brakes of the train should the engineer fail to act under the.

direction of the signal to stop his train; secondly, means for` automatically recording the time of the automatic application ofthe brakes,

and, thirdly, means for automatically operating a sounding device at the time of the automatic application of the brakes.

The invention also includes various features of construction and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In'the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive and a portion of my invention, the locomotive being shown in dotted lines and the invention in full lines. Fig. 2 is a plan Viewof a portion of a railroad provided with my invention. Fig. 3 is a detail in elevation of the reciprocative valve-controlling pin to be set in position to automatically apply the brakes. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the mechanism carried by the engine for operating the engineers valve to apply the brakes, including the timerecording mechanismand the sounding device. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan View as on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the time-recording dialV and the support therefor.` Fig. 7 is a- Vsectional detail as onthe line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail of a portion ofthe time-recording mechanism.

1 designates the locomotive, and 2 the engineers valve, located in the cab thereof and adapted to be operated by hand in theusual manner, to effect the application or release of' the air-brakes, as desired. Leading to the valve 2 from the main air-reservoir is a pipe 3, and leading from the valve 2 and connected with the air-brake system is the usualtrainpipe 4.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 5, 1904;. Serial No. 196 ,761.

novel 'the locomotive.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

6 designates a pipe which may be connected with either the steam-boiler of thelocomotive or with the main air-reservoir of the air-brake system. This pipe 6 is connected with the inlet 8 of a` rotary motor 9, mounted on a casing 1 0. The shaft 11 of the motor 9 extends throughone end of the casing 10 and is provided with apinion 12, which, through atrain of gear-wheels 13, is adapted to slowly rotate 4 a shaft 14 in the other end of the casing 10 j jecting yiixedly from and forming, in effect, la

continuation of the stem of the valve 2. The collar 17 is provided with an opening 19, in which is arranged a pin 20, projecting from the shaft 18. Thisy pin 20 and opening 19 are so relatively proportioned and arranged as to permit the engineers valve 2, and therewith the shaft 18, to be turned in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 7 to effect the application of the brakes and back again to effect the release thereof without disturbing the position of the collar 17 Thus it will be seen that the valve 2 is free to be operated independently of the connection between the motor 9 and the shaft 18. If, however, assuming that the brakes are released and the parts occupy the position shown in the drawings, the motor 9 be actuated, the shaft 14 will be slowly rotated through the train of gearwheels 13, and thereby cause the arms 15 to engage the arms 16 and slowly turn the collar 17 three distinct steps in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 7. This operation causes the wall of the opening 19 to engage thepin 20 and turn the shaft 18 and perforce the valve 2 step by step to effect a gradual opening of the valve 2 and the application of the air-brakes.

I shall now proceed to describe the preferred means whereby the motor 9 may be automatically set in motion to open the valve 2. The pipe 6, leading to the. motor 9, is provided with a valve 21, the stem 22 of whichex'tends downwardly through a bearing 23 on the body of The lower end of the stem 22 is provided with a horizontally-extending arm 24, which when moved in one direction will open the valve 21 and when moved in the reverse direction will close said valve.

Secured to the ties of the railroad is a plate 25, supporting a bearing 26, to which is slidingly fitted a vertically-reciprocative pin 27. This pin 27 is held normally depressed by the action of a suitable spring 28, bearing against the bottom of the plate 25, and a collar 29, on the lower end of said pin. The pin 27 is provided with a socket into which extends the free end of an arm 30, projecting from a horizontal rock-shaft 31 in bearings on the plate 25. The shaft 31 is provided with an upwardly-projecting arm 32, which in the present instance is connected by a wire 33 with the actuating mechanism of a switch 34 and also with the actuating mechanism of a signal (not shown) mounted on a post 35, which is shown in section in Fig. 2. The signal-post 35 is located near the pin 27, and the pin 27 is located some distance from the switch 34. The wire 33 extends to and through an opening in one arm 36 of a bell-crank lever 37, the other arm 38 of which is provided with a slot into which extends a pin 39, projecting from the horizontally-reciprocative bar 40 of the actuating mechanism of the switch 34, to the end that when the bar 40 is shifted to bring the switch into register with the main track 41 the bell-crank lever 37 will be operated to draw upon the wire 33 and, through the arms 32 and 30, raise the pins 27 against the action of the spring 28 into the path of the arm 24, projecting from the valve-stem 22.

42 designates the operating-lever for the signal upon the post 35, which lever is connected by a link 43 with one end of a pivoted arm 44, through which extends the wire 33. The wire 33 is provided with a collar 45, arranged adjacent to the arm 44, which when the signal upon the post 35 is set by operating the lever 42 will engage the collar 45 and draw upon the wire 33 in a manner to raise the pin 27, as previously explained. Thus it will be seen that the pin 27 will be raised into the path of the arm 24 either when the signal on the post 35 is moved to signaling position or when the bar 40 is shifted to bring the switch 34 into register with the main track 41 independently of each other.

In the present instance the sounding device, which is operated upon the automatic application of the brakes, is a whistle 46 of any approved type, which may be operated by either steam or air pressure, according to the connection of the pipe 6. This whistle 46 is mounted on the upper end of a pipe 47, leading from the exhaust-port 48 of the rotary motor 9, to theend that when the valve 21 is automatically opened and the motor 9 started to apply the brakes, the exhaust from said motor blows the whistle.

The preferred form of mechanism for recording the time of the automatic application of the brakes is as follows: Mounted on the casing 10 is a clock 49 of usual construction. The shaft carrying the hour-hand of the clock is provided with a gear-wheel 50, with which coacts a similar wheel 51 on one end of the shaft 52, which extends through the clockcasing and beyond the back thereof. The rearwardly-extending end of the shaft 52 carries a disk 53, on which is detachably mounted a dial 54. This dial 54, through the gearwheels 50 and 51, is rotated by the clock mechanism in a direction opposite to the movement of the hour-hand, and it is provided with characters indicating the hours and fractions thereof similarly to the ordinary clock-dial, saving and excepting that the characters read in the reverse direction. Pivoted to a bracket 55, projecting' from the clock-casing, is an upwardly-extending arm 56, the free end of which is pointed and extends horizontally to a position adjacent to the outer portion of the dial 54. The disk 53 is provided with an annular groove 57 in rear of the dial 54 and in line with the pointed end of the arm 56 to the end that when the arm 56 is moved toward the disk 53 its pointed end will puncture the dial 54 and enter the groove 57. The arm 56 is provided with a pivoted dog 58, which is held against a stop-pin 59 on the arm 56 by the action of a suitable spring 60, and bearing against the arm 56 is a spring 61, which tends normally to maintain the dog 58 in engagement with an arm 62, projecting from a piston 63, located within an enlarged portion 64 of the pipe 47, leading from the exhaustopening of the motor 9. The enlarged portion 64 is provided with an elongated opening 65, through which extends the arm 62, and it is also provided with two other openings 66 and 67, which are connected by a passageway 68 exteriorly of the enlarged portion 64. The piston 63 is held normally depressed by the action of a suitable spring 69, located within the enlarged portion 64. When the valve 21 is opened to start the motor 9, the exhaust-pressure acts against the bottom of the piston 63 and raises said piston against the action of the spring 69. As the arm 62 passes the dog 58 it presses the arm 56 toward the disk 53 to puncture the dial 54, and thus records the time of the automatic application of the brakes. After the arm 56 has punctured the dial 54 it is moved from engagement therewith by the action of the spring 61, and when the piston 63 is again lowered the dog 58 will escape the arm 62 without moving the arm 56 inwardly. The arm 62 takes against the top wall of the opening 65, which limits the upward movement of the piston 63. After the exhaust-pressure has raised the piston 63 it passes through the openings 66 and 67 and passage-way 68 and out through the whistle 46.

The dial 54 is centrally perforated to surround the shaft 52, and it is held in place by a spring-arm 70, which is also perforated to surround the shaft 52 and is provided with a keyhole-slot 71 for engagement with the head of a pin 72, projecting from the disk 53,

to hold the arm 70 in place. By giving the arm 7() a slight turn it-and the dial 54 may be removed from the mechanism and a new dial substituted for the old one.

After the brakes have been applied by the automatic mechanism it is merely necessary in resetting said mechanism for a succeeding operation to operate a handle 7 8, which projects from the top of the valve-stem 21 to close it, and to move the collar 17 outwardly against the action of a spring 74 to movethe arms 16 out of line with the arms 15 and then turn the said collar back to its original position.

By the mechanism hereinbeforedescribed it will be seen that when the signal upon the post 35 is set to notify the engineer that a train is in the block ahead the pin 21 is raised into the path of the arm 24. Therefore if` for any reason the engineer should fail to stop his train under the direction of said signal the arm 24 will be operated Vby the pin 27 to effect the automatic application of the air-brakes, and at the same time the whistle 46 will be blown to notify the engineer, and the timeof the application of the brakes will be recorded upon the dial 54, all as previously explained. `It will also be seen that when the switch 34 is moved into register with the main track 41 to direct a train to the siding the pin 27 will be raised, and after the train has moved onto the siding if the attendant fails to move the switch 34 back into register with the main track 41,and there-- by lower the pin 27, the said pin will operate the arm 24 of the following train to apply the brakes, record the time, and blow the whistle, as previously explained.

l desire it {to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular mechanism herein shown and described, as the same may be greatly modilied without departing from the invention.

I claim- 1. The combination of the locomotive, the

, air-brake system, andv the trackway, of a rotary motor, operative connections between said motor and the controlling-valve of the air-I brake system, means for opening and closing the inlet-passage to said motor, and means located along the trackway adapted tovoperate the first-named means to open said inletpassage. I

2. The combination of the locomotive, the

. air-brake system, and the trackway, of a rothe exhaust-passage of said motor.

3. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, and the trackway, of a roair-brake system, means for openingand4 4closing the inlet-passage to said motor, means located along the trackway and adapted to operate the first-named means to open said inlet-passage, a whistle connected with the exhaust-passage of said motor, and means for automatically recording the time of opening said linlet-passage. l

4. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, its controlling-valve, and the trackway, of' a .pressure-operated motor, a shaft, gearing between said motor and shaft, operative connections between said shaft and valve whereby the latter may be opened when the shaft is rotated, and means for automatically supplying pressure to the motor when the locomotive passes a predetermined portion of the trackway.

5. The combination of the locomotive, the

`air-brake system, its controlling-valve, and

the trackway, of a motor, a shaft, gearing between said motor and shaft, arms carried by the stem of said valve, arms carried by said shaft and adapted tocoact with the firstnamed arms to open said valve when the shaft is rotated, and means for automatically starting the motor when the locomotive passes a predetermined portion of the trackway.

6. The combination of the locomotive, the

air-brake system, itsl controlling-valve, and the trackway, of a motor, ashaft, gearing between said motor and shaft, a collar loosely mounted on the stem of 'said valve andl provided with projecting arms, arms carried by said shaft and adapted to coact with the iirst- Y named arms to rotate said collar when said shaft is rotated, a pin-and-slot `connection between the stem of said valve and collar whereby,k when the valve is operated by hand the pin will vwork within the slot and permit the col- Y lar to remain idle and when the said collar is rotated the pin will engage the wall of ythe slot and turn the stem to open the valve, and means for automatically starting the motor when the locomotive passes a predetermined portion of the trackway.

7. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, and the trackway, of means for automatically effecting the application of the air-brakes when the locomotive passes a predetermined portion of the trackway, a clock, a rotatable dial, gearing between the clock mechanism and the dial, a movable p member arranged adjacent .to and out of contact with said dial, and means for automatlcally moving said member into engagement with the dial upon-the automatic application` of the brakes to record the time of such application.

8. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, and the trackway, of means for automatically effecting the application of the brakes when the locomotive passes a prev n determined portion of the trackway, a clock, a rotatable dial, gearing between the clock mechanism and the dial, a movable member having a pointed end arranged adjacent to said dial,vand means for automatically moving said member upon the automatic application lof the brakes to cause its pointed end to puncture said dial to record the time of such application.

9. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, and the trackway, of means for automatically effecting the application of the air-brakes when the locomotive passes a predetermined portion of the trackway, a clock, a rotatable disk, gearing between the clock mechanism and the disk, a dial, means for detachably securing the dial to the disk, a movable member arranged adjacent to the dial, and means for automatically moving' said member into engagement with the dial upon the automatic application of the brakes to record the time of such application.

10. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, and the trackway, of means for automatically efecting the application of the air-brakes when the locomotive passes a predetermined portion of the trackway, a clock, a rotatable disk carrying a projecting pin provided with ahead, gearing between the clock mechanism and the disk, a dial, a springarm provided with a keyhole-slot adapted to engage the head of said pin to cause the arm to detachably secure the dial to the disk, a movable member arranged adjacent to the dial, and means for automatically moving said member into engagement with the dial upon the automatic application of the brakes to record the time of such application.

11. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, and the trackway, of a rotary motor, operative connections between the motor and the controlling-valve of the airbrake system whereby the brakes may be automatically applied when the motor is started, means for automatically starting the motor when the locomotive passes a predetermined portion of the trackway, a piston located within the exhaust-passage leading from the motor and adapted to be moved when the motor is started, a clock, a rotatable dial, gearing between the clock mechanism and the dial` a movable member arranged adjacent to the dial, and operative connections between said member and piston whereby when the motor is started said member will be moved into engagement with the dial to record the time of the automatic application of the brakes.

l2. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, its controlling-valve, the trackway, a rotary pressure-motor, operative connections between the said motor and valve whereby the latter may be operated to etlect the application of the brakes when the motor is started, a valve to control the supply ol pressure to said motor, a movable member located along the trackway and adapted when in one position to open the second -named valve during the passage of the locomotive, and means for moving said member into and out of operative position.

13. The combination of the locomotive, the air-brake system, its controlling-valve, the trackway, a rotary pressure-motor, operative connections between the said motor and valve whereby the latter may be operated to eli'ect the application ot' the brakes when the motor is started, a valve to control the supply of pressure to said motor,'a movable member located along the trackway and adapted when in one position to open the second-named valve during the passage of the locomotive, a signal-operating lever, and means operatively connected with said lever and adapted to move said member into and out of operative position.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

HENRY C. REICHARDT.

Witnesses:

WM. O. RETTIG, WM. B. SHUeARs. 

